Episode 7: Fermenting Your Garden Excess

Floating in garden excess and not up for a long canning adventure? You really ought to try fermenting some of the fruits of your labor! This episode of Living Free in Tennessee goes over the basics of lacto fermentation, and also reviews some “old timey” poison ivy remedies…

Direct Download.

Untested (by me) poke remedy to poison ivy.

Wild things we are eating this week:

1. Blackberries
2. Day lilies
3. Gathering lots of leaves for teas: sassafras, mint, bee balm, blackberry leaves

What we are preserving this week:

1. Corn
2. Jams
3. Beans

A word on managing canned goods: Audit your stock and organize it.

Fermenting Veggies

• Book Recommendation: Sandor Katz, The art of fermentation
• Handy (FREE) video reference! Sandor Katz
• Fermentation Lids I like and use.
• Brine website I like

What you need

1. Vegetables
2. Salt
3. Vessel: Jar, crock, anything really just no metal or plastic
4. Wood spoon or other tool to help you push it down
5. A way to weigh the veggies below the liquid
6. Cool dark place

Troubleshooting

• White scum
• Black scum
• Off smells – fermentation smell or baby poo?

Song of the Episode: Suicide by Sauce

Fermented pickles can be canned after fermentation or stored in their brine in the fridge.